Location
India fills the
major part of the South Asian subcontinent (which it shares with
Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh) and includes the Andaman and
Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal and Lakshadweep (formerly the
Laccadive, Minicoy, and Amindivi Islands) in the Arabian Sea. The
total area is 3,287,590 km2. India is bordered on the North by
the disputed area of Jammu and Kashmir (west of the Karakoram Pass),
China, Nepal, and Bhutan; on the East by Myanmar, Bangladesh, and the
Bay of Bengal; on the South by the Indian Ocean; on the West by the
Arabian Sea; and on the North West by Pakistan. The monsoon is the
predominant feature of India's climate and helps to divide the year
into four seasons: rainy, the southwest monsoon, June–September;
moist, the retreating monsoon, October–November; dry cool, the
northeast monsoon, December–March; hot, April–May. The southwest
monsoon brings from the Indian Ocean the moisture on which Indian
agriculture relies.
Agricultural Sector
The agricultural sector in India
accounts for 18.6% of the GDP and involves 60% of the total labour
force. During the past five years the agricultural sector has
witnessed a huge increase in the production and productivity of food
grains, oilseeds, commercial crops, fruits, vegetables, poultry and
dairy. India has emerged as the second largest producer of fruits and
vegetables in the world. In addition, it is also the largest overseas
exporter of cashews and spices. Other agricultural products include:
cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats,
poultry, and fish (FAOSTAT, 2005-06). The land use is divided as follows:
arable land 49%, permanent crops 3%, other 47% (CIA, 2007)
Brief overview of organic farming
According to the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD), organic production in India has been
growing steadily in the last years. In India, there has been a
remarkable growth in organic farming and 332 new organic
certifications were issued during 2004. The Research Institute of
Organic Agriculture (FiBL) reports a total 12,000 organic farms
operating in the country in 2003. The Agricultural and Processed Food
Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) estimated 200.000
hectares of certified organic land, mainly cultivated by smallholder
producers. Recently, an increasing number of companies, NGOs, farmer
organizations, and government agencies have been promoting organic
agriculture in India. The growth in organic production has been driven
mainly by the increasing international demand, but the domestic market
is also strengthening due to a large population and increasing wealth
(IFAD).
Brief overview of key organic products
Certified organic produce from India
includes tea, rice, bananas, cotton, wheat, spices (mainly pepper and
ginger), coffee, nuts, pulses, and herbal products. Most of these
products are sold in semi-processed or raw forms (IFOAM & FiBL, 2006).
Most organic farms produce are for the international markets, but there is
an emerging small domestic market.
The network
The Agricultural and Processed Food
Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has set up a Programme
for Organic Production (NPOP) in order to promote and support the
organic sector in India. INDOCERT is one of the national certification
body, accredited by NPOP, which has technical collaboration with FiBL
and bio.inspecta and is financially supported by SECO. Organic
production has attracted over the past years an increasing political
recognition by the Indian government both at central and local level.
In November 2006, the second edition of India Organic 2006 took place
in Lalbagh, Bangalore. This organic business trade fair was organised
by the International Competence Center for Organic Agriculture (ICCOA)
with the active support of IFOAM and the Government of Switzerland (SECO).
Both ICCOA and IFOAM set up a joint initiative in Bangalore. The
centre aims at promoting nation wide adoption the principles of
organic agriculture, taking advantage of the opportunities provided by
the large development of organic stakeholders in India. There are
on-going projects of organic cotton cultivation run by Maikaal BioRe
India.
Department of Agriculture & Cooperation
(Ministry of Commerce, Govt. of India)
http://agricoop.nic.in/
Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority
(APEDA)
(Ministry of Commerce, Govt. of India)
NCUI Building
3, Siri Institutional Area, August Kranti Marg, New Delhi - 110 016
Phone : +91 (11) 265 13204, 265 14572, 265 34186
Fax : : +91 (11) 265 26187
E-mail: headq(at)apeda.com
http://www.apeda.com/
INDOCERT
Thottumugham P.O.
Alwaye - 5
Ernakulam Dt.
Kerala-India
Phone / Fax: +91 (11) (484) 263 0908, 263 0909, 263 0910, 262 0943
E-mail: info(at)indocert.org
http://www.indocert.org/
ICCOA/IFOAM
951C, 15th Cross, 8th Main
Ideal Homes Township,
Rajarajeshwari Nagar,
Bangalore - 560098
Tel : +91 (80) 656 82830
Fax: +91 (80) 286 00935
E-mail: info(at)iccoa.org
http://www.iccoa.org/
http://www.ifoam.org/
References
- CIA FactBook, 31.05.07
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/in.html
- FAO, 24.10.2006: Key Statistics of Food
and Agriculture External Trade. Food and Agricultural Organization of
the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division.
www.fao.org/es/ess/toptrade/trade.asp?dir=exp&country=3&ryear=2004 and
www.fao.org/es/ess/top/country.html?lang=en
-
IFOAM & FiBL (2006): The World of Organic Agriculture. Statistics and
Emerging Trends 2006. International Federation of Organic Agriculture
Movements (IFOAM), Bonn & Research Institute of Organic Agriculture
FiBL, Frick, pp. 108-117.
-
FAO Statistical Year Book, (2005-06)
http://www.fao.org/statistics/yearbook/vol_1_2/pdf/India.pdf
-
http://www.apeda.com/
- http://www.iccoa.org/
-
http://unstats.un.org/unsd/comtrade/default.aspx
-
https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/in.html
-
http://www.ifoam.org/about_ifoam/around_world/india.html
-
http://www.biore.ch/index.php?id=1&L=1
-
http://orgprints.org/2768/01/eyhorn-2004-Organic_Agriculture_in_India.pdf
